In this blog post, we are going on a trip.
That’s right, let’s go on a trip back in time.
Think back to your first time picking up an ultrasound probe.
What did it look like? Who was instructing you? What were you scanning?
Did you feel confused? Lost in the little black and grey lines wiggling in unison with every movement of your hand.
Was your mind filled with wonder and awe at the ability to see right through the skin in real time? Or were you struck with confusion and pessimism? This isn’t practical. There’s no way I (or my specialty) will need to use this.
For some of us, the first time touching an ultrasound probe was a very long time ago, for others (like myself) it was just a few short months ago.
I am fortunate that my institution has incorporated ultrasound into our medical curriculum. We have had access to handheld ultrasound probes from the very first month of medical school. We are taught the physics behind sound waves and tissue echogenicity. We are encouraged to complete online modules, take ultrasound quizzes, and practice scanning as much as we can.
Hours have been spent scanning myself and my peers, trying to figure out what is what. Our faculty advisor aptly dubbed the ‘ultrasound champion’ showed us the ropes of how to improve our scanning. He was readily available, willing to explain, and quick to show what different views look like.
When he took on a different position, us students quickly found out that an ultrasound is only as good as the person behind the probe. Without our ‘ultrasound champion’ around, we quickly hit a glass ceiling, unable to elevate to the next steps in our scanning abilities.
In the ‘champion-less era,’ we have found other sources of knowledge. From online resources provided by the AIUM, YouTube, POCUS101, and SonoSim we are able to see what different views can look like. We have reached out to faculty, and they have been quick to give us bits of knowledge or take part in scanning sessions when they are available. We have collaborated with other schools in state-wide competitions, have begun scanning at student-run free health clinics, and attended AIUM conferences. We are getting better.
I view ultrasound medical education curriculum and the opportunities afforded by surrounding myself in scanning as the ultimate bridge between preclinical studies and my future in clinical medicine. The hands-on attribute of scanning mixes well with time in the books. No matter which specialty I choose, ultrasound will be a part of it as point-of-care sonography continues to grow into the scope and forefront of medical practice. While most of my ultrasound exploration has been done independently, having access to an ‘ultrasound champion’ was critical in my initial interest and excitement for ultrasound. One that I wish I still had access to.
The future of ultrasound is bright, and I am excited to share that many medical students coming up in training are extremely excited about ultrasound. We want to get better. We also need ‘ultrasound champions’ to be the catalysts that make us better.
If you are an ultrasound champion at your institution, I encourage you to keep the excitement that you felt when mastering ultrasound. You are helping your students unlock that ability.
If you have not yet taken steps to share your ultrasound skills, I urge you to share your knowledge with someone who may benefit from it, whether the person is a training nurse, a medical student like me, or even a colleague. If you have the desire to make ultrasound education a cornerstone of your practice, explore becoming the ‘ultrasound champion’ at your institution.
We need you behind the probe, showing us how it’s done so that we can be the ones behind the probe for years to come.
Brian Villa is a second-year medical student at a 4-year MD program in Florida, USA. During his very brief time in the medical field, he has taken a strong liking to point-of-care ultrasound and ultrasound in medical education. He is the leader of the Ultrasound Student Interest Group at his institution and has been included in conversations regarding ultrasound curriculum. He enjoys abdominal and thoracic ultrasound and his favorite view (as an avid fisherman) is the parasternal short axis ‘fish mouth’ mitral valve view.